Condensing Gas Furnaces

                                                          


Condensing gas furnaces are the highest efficiency furnaces presently on the market. If you are building a new home or replacing the old furnace in your present house these high efficiency natural gas furnaces are your wisest choice. They are simply the best  furnace to use in all homes with natural gas heating.

The reason for choosing a condensing gas furnace is mainly because of  the extremely high AFUE (Annual Fuel Utilisation Efficiency) which runs  from 90 to as much as 97 percent (in some cases a little higher). Old furnaces made in past decades will be found to have AFUEs of 60 percent or even less and medium efficiency  gas furnaces made at present have AFUEs of 78 to 84 percent.

It is easy to see that a high efficiency natural gas furnace will consume as much as 20% less fuel in normal operation. This results in a substantial saving in fuel costs which over a relatively short period of time will pay for the somewhat higher initial price of the more efficient furnace. On average a medium efficiency gas furnace costs about $1000 less than a high efficiency model.

Modern condensing gas furnaces use, approximately 33 to 40 percent less fuel than old furnaces and 10 to 20 percent less than medium efficiency units made at present. This not only reduces fuel bills substantially but as a bonus also cuts down drastically on  toxic environmental emissions which are thought to be at least partially responsible for environmental pollution and climate change.

The somewhat higher cost of purchasing a new condensing gas furnace will easily be recovered, in a relatively short period of time, through fuel savings.The savings will then go directly into the pocket of the consumer throughout the life of the appliance. An average homeowner with an old model furnace might save $300 a year, or even more, by installing a 97% efficiency condensing gas furnace.

Condensing gas furnaces are made in a variety of sizes to suit any type of home. They new furnace can usually be placed in the same spot as the old furnace it is replacing, and will typically use the same heat  duct-work. All furnaces must of course be installed by licensed gas installation technicians. It is very unwise to have an unlicensed do it your-selfer install your furnace. In many places it is illegal to do so, and could also result in your insurance company refusing to pay claims if there is a fire. For more information about condensing gas furnaces click here

                                                                 

High Efficiency Furnaces Require An Insulated Energy Efficient Home

                                                      
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Many homes more than twenty years old have inadequate insulation for high efficiency use of heating systems. Before installing a high efficiency furnace this should be remedied by installing the necessary insulation materials in the walls, roof and basement of the home.

Wall Insulation for Existing Construction


The two types of wall most often seen are ofwood-frame construction or solid brick built. For insulating a wood-frame construction wall, loose fill or foam type insulating material is blown into the cavities through holes through holes which have been drilled through the drywall on the inside of the house or through the siding on the outside. Solid brick construction walls have no cavity which is big enough for insulation. A new wall must be built inside the home and insulated during its construction, alternatively board stock along with new siding can be applied to the exterior of the home although this is somewhatless effective usually. When planning to do a cavity wall retrofit, remember the following:

Costs For Building A New Wall Are High.

Air and vapour barriers will be needed. Interior drywall itself ,when painted, is an effective air and vapour barrier. Insulation should be applied to will fill the cavity without any settling. Foam insulation can be installed and  is an air barrier in itself.

Attic Insulation

The attic is always cost-effective to insulate. The most common method used is loose fill blown between and over the ceiling joists. Alternatively fibreglass batts may be laid on top ofexisting insulation.


Basement Insulation

Basement walls have to handle moisture coming from both inside and outside the home. The most effective insulation method, is to cover walls on the outside with rigid insulation which is recommended for below ground use, for example you can use extruded polystyrene or rigid fibreglass material.

This has the following advantages:

Works very well for damp-proofing walls and for the drainage of foundations. Rigid fibreglass or mineral wool materials can be used as a drainage layer to keep water away from the foundation of the home.

The basement walls are kept at inside room temperature, which cuts down interior condensation.

The disadvantages are the high cost and also the necessity to cover the insulation above the ground.

Interior insulation methods can also be used. This is accomplished with batt insulation between the studs, or by using extruded polystyrene with strapping on the walls. The advantages of using interior insulation are lower costs and easy application. The disadvantages of interior insulation are as follows:

Any moist air which moves through the wall from inside the home will condense on the cold wall on the outside. Interior insulation should not ever be used in a basement which has had problems with moisture.

Is Insulating Your Home Really Cost Effective?

There is no doubt that good insulation systems will save you money on heating bills, and will cut energy consumption, while also making the home more comfortable for its occupants.

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Energy Efficiency In The Home

To put it very simply "energy efficiency" means the use of less energy to provide a service. A good example is installing a high efficiency gas furnace in your house. This appliance uses much less natural gas while providing the same heat to your house. Older furnaces have efficiency ratings about 60% or even less. In this case only 60% of the fuel which you burn is converted to heat for the house.

High efficiency natural gas furnaces can convert 92% to 97% of the fuel into direct heat for the house. Thus your new furnace is a lot more energy efficient than the unit it is replacing. Money is saved for the user as well as pouring less polluting gases into the atmosphere. If you replace single pane windows in your home with energy efficient, insulated double pane windows less heat leaks from the house rendering it more energy efficient. Installation of proper insulation in the home also contributes in a big way to energy efficiency.

If the main windows of a house face south this results in more sunlight entering the building which provides natural heat. This is another significant improvement in the energy efficiency of the home. Solar panels, which can be installed on the roof of a house, generate electricity at no cost. Wind turbines are used to generate power where enough wind is available. Alternative power generation methods such as these are energy efficient, and they are also clean in that they cause no pollution of the atmosphere.

Many home appliances including refrigerators, freezers, hot water heaters and others are now much more energy efficient than they were in the past. Replacing older appliances with modern energy efficient models can save considerable power and money. Using compact fluorescent lights in the home cuts power use by 50% or more-- another excellent energy efficiency. More energy savings are obtained by caulking all spaces where heat can leak out from a house which provides a worth while energy saving.

Insulation of the walls,floor and roof of a home is a necessity for energy efficiency. This is certainly one of the biggest improvements which can be made. New homes are built with sufficient insulation these days but older homes in many cases need to be upgraded.

Energy conservation is not the same thing as energy efficiency since it requires doing without some energy consuming items, or reducing use of them, rather than making replacements with energy efficient appliances. A good example is switching off lights as you leave a room which is energy conservation. Using your car less often is energy conservation. Replacing the car with a vehicle that uses less fuel to drive the same mileage,is energy efficiency. Planned use of energy conservation strategies along with use of energy efficient products is the best way to cut power usage. See our website for more information.

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